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<blockquote data-quote="Guest 6801328" data-source="post: 7459070"><p>Sure, the DM has veto rights (just like in the title of the thread), but the DM isn't the one creating the story. That's the point: the player is actively inventing elements of the campaign setting, related to but outside of the character. So the only difference between that and the thing Saelorn is saying he doesn't like is <em>when</em> it occurs. On to the next point...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>How expansive? Do you carefully describe every day of every year of the character's life? Of course not. So by restricting yourself to only what you put in the backstory you are actually limiting the backstory and personality. I'd rather start with a sketch, and then during gameplay the events of the adventure, the cues from other players, and even the luck of the dice will give me good ideas to further develop that character.</p><p></p><p>Think about how (good) books or movies unfold: you see this character, and get a couple of hints at his/her personality. As the story evolves, more hints and references emerge and you develop a more complete picture, but that picture also changes. (The change in character being <em>the entire point</em> of classic storytelling.)</p><p></p><p>Now compare to a novel...we've all read these...where the first few pages describe a character in detail, down to the color of his eyes, the brand of his whisky, and the caliber of the gun he carries, and then the rest of the book is just that character doing his thing. Sure, sometimes those stories are rollicking adventures that are hard to put down, but we are (ok, I won't speak for you, but I am) somewhat embarrassed to find them enjoyable.</p><p></p><p>Personally I'd rather tell the former kind of story.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Yeah, that's all valid opinion, but you present it as fact. It's not.</p><p></p><p>What I strive for with roleplaying is to portray a character that others at the table find interesting and compelling. Whether the ideas that I use to accomplish that existed before the game started, or whether they occur to me on the fly, shouldn't matter to other players, nor should the difference be discernible to them.</p><p></p><p>EDIT: Wasn't it Saelorn who wrote, a couple of years ago in a thread about this sort of thing, that roleplaying a wood-elf would require asking "What would a wood-elf do in this situation?" That flabbergasted me.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Guest 6801328, post: 7459070"] Sure, the DM has veto rights (just like in the title of the thread), but the DM isn't the one creating the story. That's the point: the player is actively inventing elements of the campaign setting, related to but outside of the character. So the only difference between that and the thing Saelorn is saying he doesn't like is [I]when[/I] it occurs. On to the next point... How expansive? Do you carefully describe every day of every year of the character's life? Of course not. So by restricting yourself to only what you put in the backstory you are actually limiting the backstory and personality. I'd rather start with a sketch, and then during gameplay the events of the adventure, the cues from other players, and even the luck of the dice will give me good ideas to further develop that character. Think about how (good) books or movies unfold: you see this character, and get a couple of hints at his/her personality. As the story evolves, more hints and references emerge and you develop a more complete picture, but that picture also changes. (The change in character being [I]the entire point[/I] of classic storytelling.) Now compare to a novel...we've all read these...where the first few pages describe a character in detail, down to the color of his eyes, the brand of his whisky, and the caliber of the gun he carries, and then the rest of the book is just that character doing his thing. Sure, sometimes those stories are rollicking adventures that are hard to put down, but we are (ok, I won't speak for you, but I am) somewhat embarrassed to find them enjoyable. Personally I'd rather tell the former kind of story. Yeah, that's all valid opinion, but you present it as fact. It's not. What I strive for with roleplaying is to portray a character that others at the table find interesting and compelling. Whether the ideas that I use to accomplish that existed before the game started, or whether they occur to me on the fly, shouldn't matter to other players, nor should the difference be discernible to them. EDIT: Wasn't it Saelorn who wrote, a couple of years ago in a thread about this sort of thing, that roleplaying a wood-elf would require asking "What would a wood-elf do in this situation?" That flabbergasted me. [/QUOTE]
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